Leading link forks

[Retired Army]

Zook,

Can you enlighten me on the finer points of the leading link fork? Eurowing USA produces one that widens the fork enough to mount a car tire producing a larger contact patch than the typical cycle tire. What does this do for trike handling?

Any info would be greatly apprenticed. :Meds

 

[Papa Zook]

To be honest with you I have zero experience with leading link forks. Sorry, but I'm not your guy for that information. I have talked with the Eurowing guys and I know they are experts in that field, so you're on the right track.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

To be honest with you I have zero experience with leading link forks. Sorry, but I'm not your guy for that information.

Honest .... and good looking too ...

 

[Retired Army]

Thanks for the reply, the Eurowing is a sizeable investment so a sizeable amount of research is warranted in the decision. One consideration, car tires out last cycle tires but a lot of tires can be purchased for the price of leading link forks.

 

[Gorilla]

Actually the Stallion has leading link forks. It also uses a car tire in front and it handles just fine. We get about 30 to 40k miles out of the front tire.

 

[irmagoo]

Honest .... and good looking too ...

hey fuzzy,,,, I gota say

I think he looks a lot like barney fife!!!

but I'm gett'n old and don't see that well

magoo

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

hey fuzzy,,,, I gota say

I think he looks a lot like barney fife!!!

but I'm gett'n old and don't see that well

magoo

I made that mistake too ... was corrected though

 

[Pegasus1300]

The leading link fork gives you easier steering like raked triple trees. They are also very stable and do not flex. They can also be made wide enough to handle a car tire for more mileage and traction and great handling. When breaking the fork does not compress but rises allowing you to maintain control in a heavy or down hill breaking situation.

Does EuroWing make their leading link fork in the US. I have found a company in England that will build one with a car tire capability.Shipped to the US for about $3200.

 

[Retired Army]

The leading link fork gives you easier steering like raked triple trees. They are also very stable and do not flex. They can also be made wide enough to handle a car tire for more mileage and traction and great handling. When breaking the fork does not compress but rises allowing you to maintain control in a heavy or down hill breaking situation.

Does EuroWing make their leading link fork in the US. I have found a company in England that will build one with a car tire capability.Shipped to the US for about $3200.

Eurowing gets $4200 included is fork rim and car tire. Probably includes shipping from England leading link is really popular there.

 

[jaxbobg]

Have only seen leading links on one bike, a Honda motocross, maybe 150cc, and owner said it handled much better than standard on rocky and bumpy surfaces. The European custom shops appear to build them for the bigger bikes that are equipped with a sidecar, which seems to be more popular over there

Since you don't say you have a sidecar, what kind of roads do you normally ride? I can't imagine an F6B trike being ridden in off-road situations.

Looks like you would have to rework the whole front end of the bike including calipers, brake lines, fenders, and who knows what else? Sounds like that adds up to a lot more money than just the Eurowing kit.

How about trying the Avon Cobra Trike tire first for less than $200?

 

[irmagoo]

when I first started thinking about using leading link type front end I found some info in old side car rig magazine's like hack'd and dave Dotson wrote riding with a sidecar back in the 80's I think... anyway the whole idea is to improve handling so for trikes and sidecar rigs key is to reduce trail-if force needed to steer is excusive ,,,
since I started heading towards a trike after years of sidecar experience I was quit aware of the hard steering that stock front ends can offer my 01 Harley ultra had some where around 6.5 degrees of trail I knew steered would be hard but couldn't wait to ride new rig!! -well just the crown in roads would kill your arms and shoulders in no time-wife couldn't steer it at all!!, .. I had a set of trees built that lowered trail to 2.5 degrees,,,, nite and day difference!!
I guess what I an getting at is no matter what front end type you go with the amount of trail is the answer if I use leading link with 6.5 degrees of trail I would not improved handling so what I'm building for my trike build will stout and start off at 2.5 and may go a little lower we will see.
magoo

 

[Papa Zook]

R.A.,
For me, I dont think the benefit of a leading link front end would be worth spending $3200 dollars on. Do you currently have a rake kit on your trike? If so, what degree is it? A good rake kit and a fork brace are a great improvement over stock for less than a third of the price and Avon now makes a trike specific tire that seems to be working out well.

 

[tfdeputydawg]

My feeble mind is wondering again?
To me this is a leading link suspension:

Can't get as good a pic of the Eurowing front but, it does not look like a "leading link" to me??? I note the fork tubes w/suspension in front but, looks like the wheel/tire moves on both???

 

[mhgoldwing]

The leading link fork gives you easier steering like raked triple trees. They are also very stable and do not flex. They can also be made wide enough to handle a car tire for more mileage and traction and great handling. When breaking the fork does not compress but rises allowing you to maintain control in a heavy or down hill breaking situation.

Does EuroWing make their leading link fork in the US. I have found a company in England that will build one with a car tire capability.Shipped to the US for about $3200.

Take a look at the Hannigan 180 front end. One current user loves the handling, has 35K miles on it and thinks he will get 50k miles.

 

[Marc H]

A forum member has a leading setup on a wing.A decent discussion here. http://www.triketalk.com/forum/threads/26907-Leading-Links?p=290191&highlight=#post290191

 

[slug]

The eurowing frontends are not a leading link design. They were developed in Europe for sidecars and trikes. They have been running this design for many years. Not exactly sure how long. I have been putting them together for 9 years. The front end is awesome. A simple and sturdy design that puts you in control of your trike. Front tires are lasting in the neighborhood of 70,000 miles. Depending on how much you ride your bike you might have to change it for age before it wears out.

 

[Sidecarbill]

Well I had leading links on 650 yamaha motocross style sidecar rig. Raked trees wouldn't turn when you gassed it, it would go straight. No fun there. Changed to leading links front wheel stays planted,no matter how much you gas it. Fun! Power slide at crazy speed on fire roads. Destroy a knobby in a day! So when you're on a gravel road and you're front wheel just plows ahead leading link will probably just turn. Tube front ends have to much stiction, made worse by the twisting of the forks in a turn. Steering effort is the same on both if the trail is the same.